Questions Remain After Whisenant’s Death Ruled A Suicide

Disobedient Media previously reported on the death of Beranton Whisenant Jr, whose body was found floating off of a Miami beach in May. New press reports announced that investigators determined Whisenant had committed suicide.

The conclusion has fueled increased speculation surrounding the case. Initial press reports stated that Whisenant had been found ‘floating in the water‘ on a Miami beach. CBS wrote that “officers pulled the body out of the water and covered him with a sheet.” It is unclear how Whisenant’s body entered the water after apparently shooting himself. According to local media reports, the gun used in Whisenant’s death has not yet been recovered.

The Miami Herald wrote that Whisenant had joined the Miami U.S. Attorney’s office just a few months prior to his death. Local police stated that detectives as well as the Broward county medical examiner had determined Whisenant died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In May, the Miami Herald had reported that a friend of Whisenant’s had stated he was very motivated by public service, and that Whisenant had volunteered for the Florida Bar, planned to become a judge, and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami law school.

Possible motivations for Whisenant’s suicide, or the reasoning behind declaring the death a a suicide, remain unclear.